Middle
by KenRik
Summary: Sasusaku. She's slumped on the couch, eyes cast down. Her loneliness had long tuned out the blaring club music.


Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Listened to Middle ft. Bipolar Sunshine by DJ Snake on repeat while writing this shortie.

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Middle

She's slumped on the couch, eyes cast down. Her loneliness had long tuned out the blaring club music. Alcohol had numbed all thought. She was surrounded by several others, all upbeat, conversing mute amongst one another. That was when she was suddenly taken by her arm. Brought to her feet, Sakura's clouded eyes cast up and meet dark onyx orbs, fiery, deep. She was too weak to fight him off.

Pushed through the door, Sakura fell on her knees at the hard cold pavement of the sidewalk. She looked around, vaguely realizing she was outside the club. Her emerald eyes focused on the redness of her palms, in amazement at the absence of feeling. It was astonishing how the right amount of alcohol could alter sensations of the body. Had she taken a few more shots, she'd be a vomiting mess.

A smile made its way to her lips painted with gloss, she felt invincible; as if she could take on anything.

"Get up."

Her head shoots up at the gruff voice. She caught sight of a pale face with sharp eyes and a scowl when the immediate vicinity suddenly started spinning violently around her. The next thing she knew, she was lying sideways on the pavement. She opened her eyes and still, the world refused to stop moving. Her arm felt like liquid as she brought them over her eyes in an attempt to keep from the odd sensation of falling. Before she knew it, she was being pulled up. She felt like putty against the large strong hands that grips her sides. And her head lulls, feeling as if she was about to fall at any moment.

"Urgh." She groans, shifting to her side. When she opens her eyes, she finds herself at the back of a car. "Where are you taking me, asshole." She mumbles incoherently that the irked driver only hears unintelligible noise. Soon, as the vehicle sped forward, she was caged in a room of shooting lights; of different hues. And, she sinks further and falls entranced - finally, completely losing herself.

Sasuke's eyes snap to the rear view mirror. He clicks his tongue, finding the girl sobbing her heart out. He had just met the medic a few weeks ago, been on one short mission together. From the first time he laid eyes on her, he could already tell she was more trouble than she was worth.

Seeing the intersection, he turns a corner, thinking they couldn't arrive in the hospital any faster. By the time he parked, Sakura had quieted.

He steps out of his car and walks to the back, intending to drag the girl into the building if necessary. When he opens the car door, she is lying on her back with the back of her hand over her eyes. "Don't fucking touch me." She dangerously spat even before he made any move towards her.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. It took a while, but when his shadow left, Sakura released the breath she was keeping in. Crying helped her rid the toxins she drowned from earlier in the club. Only now, she felt like absolute shit.

It didn't take long before Ino was right by the car.

"Sakura." She cooed, kneeling down by the opening and gently caressing Sakura's carnation hair. "We need you to come in."

The plastered girl sucked a breath.

"I know." She kept her lip from quivering. "Just give me a sec."

Ino's brows crease uncomfortably, her expressionate eyes were cast down and tired.

"You know you're the only one she's waiting for."

When Sasuke sees Sakura and Ino enter through the hospital's entrance, his brows rise, not expecting the drunkard to get her act together in time. He follows them after their elevator doors close.

When the lift opens, Sakura is forced to look ahead. Her palms sweat at her sides and her breathing shallows with every step she took. Light-headed, she didn't bother with the greetings that came her way. She had even forgotten Ino was walking beside her.

Upon reaching the last door in the floor, the pink-haired medic breathed out before pushing open the partition. Behind her, the door closed, revealing the nameplate Tsunade Senju. Inside the ICU room, she was met with several familiar faces. But the only person she wanted to turn to look at her was lying paralyzed, comatosed on the hospital bed.

By the door, Ino turned, momentarily caught by the entrance of the newcomer. Sasuke slipped in beside her, eyes rooted on the petite girl approaching her mentor. He had thought she wasn't strong enought to see this through. But, now that she was actually here, he didn't know what to think of her.

The metal clipboard scraped the foot of the bed as Sakura took it from its hanger. She merely glanced it over before flicking her pen over the fifth page attached to the records. Sobered, she gestures for the nurse in the room to assist her. And before anyone in the room could flinch, she had pulled the plug. It took a few inaudible instructions to the attending nurse and physician before Sakura left the room.

Sasuke cast his eyes down when she walked past him.

.

The next few days, when Sasuke is called in for his next assignment, he is surprised to see the pink-haired medic shuffling through numerous scattered files in the room of the Hokage.

"You're here!" A high-pitched cry greets him. Unimpressed with what was before him, Sasuke's lips straighten into a thin line. Soon enough, Sakura dumps the folders on the floor next to him and holds out her hand. The quiet ANBU captain cocked a brow at her.

"I'm sorry you caught me at a bad time." Sakura smiles at him. "I hope we can start over." She raises her open palm to Sasuke. The man doesn't know what to make of the hand stretched out in front of him. So, instead, Sakura reaches out and takes his hand in a shake. "I'm Sakura Haruno." She grins at him. "Newly appointed Chief of Medicine at the Konoha General Hospital."

Sasuke raises a brow at her, in unease at her friendliness, at the brightness in her face.

"What's-"

"Tsunade's post has been transferred to our favorite," Kakashi suddenly popped out of nowhere. "You'll be permanently working together to streamline ANBU Ops."

Sasuke's eye twitched. Then, he turned from Kakashi to Sakura who smiled when their eyes met.

"I'm looking forward to working with you, Uchiha-san."

Onyx orbs looked down to their clasped hands, not knowing what to make of it. And, looking up at Sakura - no longer knowing what to make of her. She seemed far altered from the hot-tempered irrational mess he had first been assigned to since transferring from Oto.

"Uchiha Sasuke." He finally conceded to the do-over, unsure. Still, that was enough to widen the beautiful smile on Sakura's face. And Sasuke didn't know why it even passed his mind, but he decided her smile wasn't half bad.

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END.

Things to appreciate:

1\. Sasuke picked her up out of all her friends and acquaintances.

2\. Sasuke, although he thinks bad of Sakura, actually thinks more of her than he should.

3\. They were attracted to each other the first time they met. But, because of the wrong timing, Sakura is vicious and Sasuke follows.

4\. Sakura's hostile attitude towards Sasuke stems from the fact he's handsome and overall awesome (he was a big deal in Oto) and that he's a bachelor and that he checks like all the boxes in her list, but she can't act on it and believes he abhors her. (she's depressed and has low self-esteem and not really into dating at the time because she's been on Tsunade's case for months even before Sasuke's arrival)

5\. Looking ahead, I think when Sasuke asks her out (finally!), Sakura will cry in relief/happiness - all this time thinking that ship had long sailed (or crashed).

Wondering what else there is to appreciate. Thanks for reading! Hope you leave a review!


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